Desperate for Changes
by so.fabulous
Summary: Follow Taylor McKessie through her freshman year as she watches drama spring up among her peers and tries to stay out of it. [Eventual Chaylor]
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own High School Musical. I wish I owned Corbin Bleu so I could do him whenever I so wished. Unfortunately, I don't, so I am only able to do him whenever _he_ so wishes.

If there's one thing you should know about East High, it's that it's filled with drama, not just the kind you find up on the stage in the winter or spring 'musi-cale', either. I can say that I honestly think there must be something in the water that makes everyone act the way they do. It's not like my opinion really matters, though.

I'm Taylor McKessie. I'm a freshman, science-lover, proud member of the Chem. club, and one of the few Wildcats who isn't prone to drama. You'd think that since I'm one of the school's brightest minds (and I'm not exaggerating here), my opinion would be a pretty important one, wouldn't you? Well, my friend, you'd be mistaken.

The only people whose views really count are the people whose views aren't any more ground-breaking than "Hey, basketball is like 'basket' and 'ball' put together." It's ironic, really. The school puts lunkhead athletes up on a pedestal. Money that should go toward new books is used for bright, shiny scoreboards and practice uniforms for the sports teams. Our class president is the star of the JV basketball team. The school's athletic director has a higher yearly salary than every teacher. The only person who earns more is the principal! Every prom queen in the history of the school has been either a cheerleader or an athlete. Yes, our drama-filled school is ruled by the jocks and the airheaded cheer squad. You could say I'm a little bitter on this whole subject.

I would be lying if I said I didn't mind the lack of attention given to the school's brighter minds, but there's really nothing I can do about it. If I (or anyone else for that matter) tried to step in and put a stop to the way things are happening, not a thing would happen. See, not only does a day in our school resemble a soap opera, but the entire population has been divided off into separate cliques.

I like to think of these cliques it in terms of chemicals.

The Alkali metals are like the sports junkies. They're not found naturally alone, due to their ability to easily bond. I can assure you that every athlete and every cheerleader has had at least one boyfriend or girlfriend by the time they've reached high school. They travel in packs, gallivanting around the halls and calling out to each other in an almost tribal fashion.

Alkaline Earth metals are like the drama club. They, like the jocks, aren't found by themselves, and are highly reactive. Theatre heads are the ones prone to acting out just for the attention. They sit up on a balcony by themselves during lunch. I think it's because they like to be 'above' everyone else.

The Transition metals are the students who are average scholars and not into any sports. Maybe they're quirky, shy, or just plain annoying. Either way, they bond with themselves and form their own circles. They're the ones who usually go unnoticed unless you're specifically looking for them, yet they make up the greatest portion of the student body.

Band members, or 'Band Geeks' are the Other metals. They don't quite fall in with the Transition metals, but they don't go with any other family.

Skaters are Metalloids. They share similar qualities with other groups, but don't quite fall in with them. Like the jocks, they are totally into their own sport, but they're also like Transition metals in the sense that they aren't popular and can easily fit in with those around them.

Nonmetals are definitely your typical skanks. Nonmetals are known for conducting heat easily, and these girls certainly bring on the heat. They're the ones who you know have already _gotten some_ by the time they're in high school, and they're the ones who spend the weekends getting smashed.

The posers fall under the Halogens, as these elements are known for, at room temperature, existing in all three forms of matter, thus making them versatile and giving them the traits they need to fit in with other groups, much like a chameleon who can change to suit its climate.

Gothic, 'emo', depressed artists are the Rare Earth Metals. While they only exist in a small amount, they've got a great impact on the things around them.

Finally, the Nobel Gases, all the way at the end of the periodic table, are comparable to a typical scholar. Each outer level of electrons, the one that is involved in chemical bonding, already has the maximum number of particles. Therefore, we don't need to bond with another atom to be complete.

Obviously, these groups don't mix, for a huge reaction would obviously occur. It would, no doubt, be monumental enough to shake the school down to its very foundation.

All of this, I observed on my first day here. You could say I catch on fast. The following will be a recounting of my freshman year. I hope you're ready for the lies, scandal, and gossip because I know I'm not.

**A/N:** Well, there it is. The very first chapter of my very first fic. Any and all praise/criticism is totally open.


	2. Homeroom Blues & Lunchtime Disaster

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HSM. I wish I owned Corbin Bleu so I could do him whenever I so wished. Unfortunately, I don't, so I am only able to do him whenever _he_ so wishes.

Whoever is responsible for homeroom assignments has either a seriously demented sense of humor or a substantial amount of an illegal substance in their system. I was stuck with people who are the sorts I haven't ever gotten to know. Not even one of the friends I made at orientation- and the Chem. club's first meeting- is with me. And, it's not like they put me in a science room where I could have interesting things to look at. No, I'm in the _drama teacher's_ homeroom! The freaking drama teacher! You want to know what the worst part is? We have to keep these homerooms for our entire high school career! Four years of torture lay ahead of me.

Since it was the first day, homeroom was extended so we could go over the school's rule book, get our schedules, pay our dues, get our order forms for class pictures, and several other unpleasant things. I'm sure they killed an entire forest of trees to make enough paper for everything they handed out! If the whole giving out and receiving of papers was annoying by itself, it took a whole different turn when Mrs. Darbus decided I would help her hand out the million and a half sheets. I guess I shouldn't have been sitting off by myself while everyone else was talking in their little groups. I was practically asking for it, right? This brilliant idea of hers, which had probably been designed to get me into the midst of my peers, presented a huge problem.

I didn't know a great portion of my 'homeroomies'.

See, I'd gone to one of the Catholic schools, so I knew Troy Bolton and Chad Danforth, but they were the only ones in my homeroom who had gone to the same school as me. Everyone else had either gone to East Middle School or some hoity-toity private school. I learned everyone's names quickly, though. It took handing Martha Cox's book fee receipt to Sharpay Evans and mistaking Zeke Baylor for Jason Cross, but I eventually got it figured out. What's more important is that I figured out in that short time who was nice and who wasn't.

Sharpay Evans was a bitch if I ever saw one. The typical blonde, she wore these overly-fashionable clothes. Her outfit made me feel subconscious of my first day attire, which was probably my best outfit of the year. I bet her clothes only get flashier. She's the type who'll probably wear sparkly clothes just to get people to look at her. If I were Sharpay, I would have changed my name. Who would actually like being named after a dog? Her, obviously.

Ryan Evans, Sharpay's brother is sort of a mystery. I mean, honestly, he must be some sort of super-nice person to be able to put up with her constantly. Even in the short time I was around them, she bossed him around a lot. If I were related to her, I wouldn't have put up with that. She would have definitely been put in her place a long time ago.

Troy Bolton, judging by the state championship shirt he was wearing, was just as basketball-crazed as he was in middle school. His dad's the Varsity coach and I'm pretty sure Troy's been playing ball since he was able to walk. Probably since before then. I bet basketball was his first word. He'll probably make a big name for himself here, since he's quite a looker, and a great player. I could already see Sharpay giving him 'the look'. Something tells me Troy better watch out before she gets her claws in him.

Zeke Baylor seems nice enough. He's a basketball guy, but he doesn't seem nearly as obsessed as Troy. His buddy, the one I had thought was him (which I now realize was stupid, as they're total opposites looks-wise, even if their personalities are similar- both of them are pleasant, not too loud, but still pretty popular), is Ryan Cross and he's a basketball player, too. In my mind, they're nicknamed salt and pepper, but I'm guessing they've known each other for a while because they were talking and joking really comfortably. Or maybe they're just more outgoing than I am.

Chad Danforth, Troy's eternal best buddy, is stupid. That's really the only word to describe him. When I handed him his picture packet, he tried to make some stupid joke about how I hadn't gotten _his_ name confused. His hair makes him rather hard to mistake for someone else. And the fact that he was sitting right in front of me had only made it more obvious that I wouldn't miss him. We've known each other since before kindergarten! We were even friends, but then he started hanging out with the guys more and now he and Troy are basically inseparable. Me and him haven't really talked since we were partners for a project in seventh grade. Of course, we had been assigned partners. I'd never pick him. One thing that hasn't changed over the years is his knack for annoying comments. He always manages to roll one off at the worst possible moment. I swear, if Sharpay isn't the end of me, Chad will be.

After the homeroom fiasco, I had a few AP courses, which were nice because they put me with people more my speed. I even got to talk with some of the friends I'd made from the Chem. club, which was basically my only way of meeting people, as pathetic as that sounds. I'm pretty sure Geometry is going to be one of my favorite class, along with Biology. I was even asked to join the Scholastic Decathlon team, which is really unheard of as a freshman! Yep, my morning was going great. Until lunch.

Whoever had set up the homeroom listing must have also set up the lunch shift schedule. Rayna, the girl I'd gotten the closest with from my classes, was in the second period lunch, and I had it the first one. Naturally, I figured I'd be able to sit with some of the other people I'd met. As long as I didn't end up near Sharpay or Chad. I'd had enough of them in homeroom.

As I was going through the lunch line, I got caught up in listening to all the people talking around me. It's quite interesting what you pick up when you're not really trying to listen.

"_Did you see that boy?"_

"_The one with the basketball shirt?"_

"_Yeah! Him! Wasn't he, like, a total hottie?"_

"_Omigosh! Yeah! I wonder what his name is..."_

At that exchange, I'd simply rolled my eyes. Yeah, let them fawn over Troy. What they didn't need to hear was that he was known for peeing his pants on the first day of elementary school because he didn't want his mom to leave. I'm sure that's a moment he probably blocked out of his memory. Readjusting my head scarf, I moved along down the line and away from the chattering girls. I, however, made a mental note of how they talked. Yep, being able to speak the obvious 'cheerleader' language would probably come in handy some day.

As I grabbed an apple from the stack, turning it over to make sure there weren't any brown spots or other blemishes on it, I set it next to the mac and cheese that I'd already grabbed. I paid for my meal and started through the cafeteria, feeling really small and totally alone. Somehow, I ended up on the balcony, the one I later found out was Sharpay's spot. I didn't know how she'd claimed it, since this was her first day of high school, too, but I figured she probably had an older sister or something. She seemed like the sort who would be 'bff's with her sister. Like those annoying Duff girls.

Anyway, when I saw her blonde locks and heard her talking (saying something rude, no doubt, as her attention looked like it was focused on some girl wearing glasses with her hair tucked up into a hat), I turned on my heel and walked the other way. I wasn't fast enough to miss hearing her last little snip, and I immediately wished I hadn't ended up going near her table, as it wasn't only an insult to the girl who I immediately felt sympathy for.

"Take that _stupid_ hat off!" Sharpay had said to the other girl, "You're almost as fashion impaired as that girl who didn't know who I was!" Laughing, she continued, "I'm Sharpay Evans, I've starred in every musical I could possibly star in since kindergarten! _And_, I would never consider wearing an _argyle-print sweater._ They're so... five years ago!"

Suddenly self-conscious, I glanced down at the blue sweater I'd worn. Weren't these supposed to be fashionable now? It was in the junior's section at JC Penney's... it wasn't like I'd bought it at the _Dress Barn_ or anything. Somewhere along the line, I must have set my tray down because I remember running toward the bathroom. Before I got there, I came across the other person I didn't want to see, especially in the rotten mood I was in. Chad had been spinning his basketball on his finger- he carried that thing _everywhere_, I swear- when someone must have hit it away or something. Anyway, his ball was bouncing across the floor and he was running after it. I really wasn't looking and I ended up crashing into him at full speed.

"Taylor!" he'd said, picking up his ball and throwing it from one hand to the other. "I know I'm irresistible, but that doesn't mean you have to go running into me!"

I hadn't even answered him. Instead, I took off for the bathroom, where I spent the remainder of the lunch period. Looking back on it now, I feel pretty stupid. I can't tell you why I got so worked up about an insult to my fashion sense, but I guess it was because I had been sure my first day outfit was adorable. My opinions must really suck, huh? The rest of the day was a little better, and I didn't have any Sharpay or Chad encounters, but I did end up snagging some homework in a few classes. I do like school, but who ever heard of getting assignments on the first day?

I hope tomorrow isn't as bad.

**A/N:** In case you couldn't tell, this will probably end up being a Chaylor. If I can manage to pull it off, that is. You know the drill, review, review, review!


	3. A Shock at the Library

**Disclaimer:** I do not own High School Musical. I wish I owned Corbin Bleu so I could force him to go to homecoming with me. Unfortunately, I don't, so I'll have to wait for _him_ to ask _me_.

**A/N:** Thanks a bunch to all my reviewers. I think the story is sort of slow, but your positive feedback will definitely help me update faster and get into the more interesting stuff. I've also decided this is going to be a Chaylor, even if I have to spend a longer time writing it do the ship justice. So, enjoy chapter three of 'Desperate For Changes'.

The next day, I decided I wasn't going to let what shar-pei said get to me. So as I dressed, I made sure I wore the clothes _I_ liked. I didn't even care if they were ones I'd had last year. The last things I put on before my shoes were my argyle-print socks. _Take that, evil dog woman._ I wasn't going to let her turn Taylor McKessie into the sort of girl who spends her lunch period in the bathroom bawling because her sweater wasn't 'fashionable'. That had been a moment of weakness that I did not want to relive.

Well, the day itself was pretty uneventful. I sat a little closer to other people in homeroom. Actually, that was more out of fear of being labeled a hermit than me getting more brave, but it was still a minor triumph. Jason asked me for a pen, and then we actually talked for a little bit. After homeroom, I had my favorite classes, so I was in a great mood by the time lunch rolled around. I didn't even see Sharpay once, but I did talk to Zeke in the lunch line! Apparently, he really likes food because he was commenting on the textures of the croissants and how the school should stop using 'I can't believe it's not butter!' spread instead of the real deal. I think he's going to be a chef some day. Maybe he'll even have his own cooking show or something. I even managed to find my way to my table without running to the bathroom or running into some lunkhead with a basketball. I was on a roll! While I ate with some other scholastic decathlon members, we discussed some of the more widely disputed scientific theories, which I found to be really intellectually stimulating. After lunch, I had one of my few classes that isn't advanced. English.

I hate my English class.

My stupid hippie teacher put me next to Chad! The lunkhead with the idiotic hair. When we had to take a quiz to test what we retained from our course last year, I was tempted to pull a childish stunt and put my folder up as a barrier to keep his eyes off my paper. Seriously! It wasn't like this was a _graded _quiz. I'm sure that he'll end up copying all my assignments this year, whether I like it or not. It's a good thing I'm only by him in one class. I don't think my sanity could handle any more 'Chad time'.

After school, I went to the local library to work on a paper for my History class- yes, Mr. Erickson had the audacity to give us a huge paper-, where I heard an all too familiar giggle. I was totally amazed that Sharpay even knew what a library _was_, let alone where our public one was located! So maybe she really wasn't the ditz I'd thought she was.

Nah, that couldn't be it. She had to have a reason for being here. She looked rather interested in reading a tabloid, but I knew she was a good actress, so she was probably faking that.

It only took me another minute to realize that Troy was here, too. All I had to do was catch one of her glances toward the tables across the room, as she continuously shot them over there. Apparently, he was working on the same essay, as I could see his textbook open. He'd made it into AP History and I was actually surprised. I'd always thought of him as a total basketball head. You know, absolutely filled with air? But he actually had contributed a decent amount to the in-class discussion we'd had on the first day of school. Maybe there was more to him than what met the eye.

I ended up listening to Sharpay's giggles and watched her watch him for approximately ten minutes before she finally stepped out from behind the bookshelf she'd been lurking behind (hadn't Troy heard her incessant laughter as well? It wasn't something you could easily ignore...) and approached her prey. That's how I thought of her, as a tiger or something like that. Or maybe a mountain lion. I'd always liked tigers, so I wasn't about to compare her to something I actually thought was cool.

My table was a good twenty feet away from Troy's, so I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but I caught the general gist of it. Sharpay had asked Troy if he had a girlfriend. Troy had answered no and Sharpay said something about what a crime against 'hotness' that was. Then, she proceeded to ask him if he'd like to go with her to see the new Hilary Duff movie. Seriously, he'd have to be out of his freaking mind to say yes! Who would want to go to a movie with Sharpay, let alone a _Hilary Duff_ one? Surely he'd turn her down col–

"Yeah, sure Sharpay. When?"

Aw, poor Shar– wait? Did Troy say 'yes'? That was just plain insane! Didn't he know how truly evil the girl was? He had to have seen the way she treated everyone, from her own twin to that hat girl at the lunch table. Maybe he was just being nice accepting her offer and such, but I don't think even Troy is that nice. Maybe... just maybe he was actually attracted to Sharpay?

_Ha!_ Now there was a funny one.

But this was odd. Troy was a total jock, and Sharpay was a drama club member. Weren't those two separate cliques? I was sure that Sharpay was one of those girls who'd practically invented the clique system! The way she only let her fellow theatre heads sit by her at lunch, the way she looked down on basically everyone else. It all pointed to her being a clique-junkie. This was definitely hypocritical of her.

Of course, with their differences, their relationship would never end up doing well. They were total opposites. Them dating was as crazy as, say, Chad and I dating!

Chad and I... now _there's_ a funny pairing.

Rather amused with myself for thinking up something so horribly ridiculous, I still had a small smile as I packed my things away to leave the two new 'lovebirds' in peace. Peace and Sharpay Evans, however, were two horribly contradictory terms, as I could hear her shrill, fake laughter all the way out the door. It took me the entire walk home to get that laugh out of my head. Even as I got my things ready for the next day and picked out my clothes- as it was picture day and I had to make sure I didn't wear something stupid like a gray shirt that would blend in with the background and make me look like a floating head- I could hear that laugh ringing through my head.

For a moment, I was glad I snorted when I laughed. Anything was better than that annoying giggle.

**A/N:** So even though I like Troyella, this fic is going to be a Troypay because I totally felt like they had some sort of history together and I felt the need to explain it. Don't worry, loves, Troy will probably come to his senses soon enough!

I've got a golf match today that I'm really not looking forward to, so lots of reviews when I get home would be _really, really_ nice. Heck, I might even update when I get home from the meet! Two updates in one day? CRAZY!


	4. Picture Day

**Disclaimer:** I do not own High School Musical. I wish I owned Corbin Bleu, but if I did I wouldn't be able to tear myself away from him to write this fic, so I guess it's a good thing I don't own said Corbin.

**A/N:** Thanks so much for all your great reviews! I just got home from a football game and we totally got slaughtered, so I figured I'd take my mind off things by updating. My depressed-ness over the game is probably why this chapter is so short... but enjoy it anyway! I'll probably update tomorrow when I'm back from a stupid family thing.

The next morning, I woke up and was totally ready for picture day. I'd practiced my smile and used my whitening toothpaste for a week prior. I'd been told on more than one occasion that I had a great smile, so I was going to play my pearly whites up as much as possible. Even if my outfit wasn't that fabulous, my smile was going to be simply radiating. Smiles always tell the truth; I was sure Sharpay's would be more like an evil grin, and I certainly didn't want to look like that. So I was going for a warm, happy look. Almost like I was smiling.

I walked carefully to homeroom, as I didn't want to end up totally destroying my clothes before we had our pictures taken during second block. Walking by the expansive trophy cabinet, I paused to look into the glass like you would look into a mirror. I used it to straighten the magenta scarf tied around my head and gently tease my waved locks. Yep, my hair looked pretty darn good today, if I did say so myself. I'd always been fond of curlier hair, though straight was nice on the right person. I suppose I just like the way curls bounce when you walk. And they feel way better when you run your hair through them.

Alas, I'm getting off topic.

When I entered the room, I was almost floored by how different people made themselves look for picture day. Weren't the yearbook shots supposed to be a reflection on how you look on a daily basis? Then I realized that I'd definitely put more finishing touches on my outfit, much like my peers. Zeke was wearing a really nice polo, and it looked pretty expensive (but what do I know about fashion?) and Jason had actually _styled_ his hair. It didn't look too bad, either. Troy looked more like a golden boy than usual, with his bright blue shirt, which looked like it had been picked to make his eyes stand out. Chad looked like he'd done something different with his hair- highlights, maybe?- and he was actually wearing a nice shirt instead of his novelty tees. Sharpay was wearing a minidress. Honestly! Who wears a minidress to school? Ryan looked rather... interesting in a brightly-colored dress shirt, brown pants, and, of course, a hat. Even Mrs. Darbus looked like she'd put extra thought into her clothes, which was really something.

Homeroom was a little more subdued than usual, though no one was quiet enough to be able to hear channel one news (thought that wasn't much of a surprise- I think I was the only one who was somewhat sad when Errol announced he'd be leaving the show). The jocks weren't tossing a basketball back and forth, and Sharpay hadn't yet made one of her usually frequent trips to her locker. For being so uneventful, the class actually passed rather fast, and, before I knew it, first block was finished as well.

We were called into the auditorium by homeroom, and since my first class had been on the other end of the building, I was one of the last ones to arrive. In fact, everyone except me and Chad had already had his or her picture taken and was leaving just as I was arriving. Hastily, I checked to make sure my clothes weren't wrinkled or anything and that my hair was rather decent.

A rather stupid-looking woman whose only goal in life appeared to be causing other people misery basically attacked me as I made my way toward the picture-taking spot, and the dreadful look in her eyes made it obvious that whatever she was about to do would probably ruin my picture. She was, after all, armed with one of those annoying, and somewhat frightening, cheap little combs and began trying to comb my bangs down flatter. I must have let out some annoyed grumble because she stopped and stepped back, giving me this cold, disapproving glance like the one mom gives me when I ask to go shopping. I guess _she_ thinks I should focus on my studies instead of frivolous things like clothes, but I am a _girl_ after all, and thus like clothes. But this woman couldn't know about that, right?

Anyway, after fending off the woman, I sat on the stool, contorting my torso to face the camera while my feet pointed the opposite direction. Immediately, I felt stupid as I looked toward the camera man and was told to point my chin the other way, lift my eyebrows a little, angle my head slightly. By that point, the muscles in my face had entirely forgotten how to form the smile I'd perfected the night before in my bathroom and I started panicking. Oh God, he started his countdown, asking me to look at the stupid animal he had on top of his camera. I didn't even notice Chad come in and take his place in line- I was too busy trying to make sure I remembered how to smile properly.

_10, 9, 8..._

My eyes strayed for a second over camera guy's shoulder, where the same woman who had came down on me was trying to force him to straighten Chad's unruly hair. He shot me a look and made one of the _stupidest_ faces I'd ever seen. The lady took his slight distraction from fending her off as an opportunity to force the comb through his hair herself, but as she did it snapped in two.

_7, 6, 5..._

Watching him and the woman, I couldn't help but smile slightly at the dilemma. Half of the cheap comb was tucked in his hair, while the other half was clutched tightly in her bony hand. The way she fluttered about him, trying to find the best way to extricate the half without messing up the portion she'd already combed was enough to make me laugh more, but the entirely clueless look on his face brought out an even greater laugh.

_4, 3, 2, 1. CLICK!_

Right after the picture was taken, my laughter ended in a snort, and I was immediately glad I hadn't _snorted_ while the picture was being taken. That wouldn't have looked too great, would it? Anyway, I was pretty sure my picture would have looked absolutely terrible, and I figured I would have to have it retaken, but when I went over to look at the digital proof, I was honestly stunned. It was like my eyes were _sparkling_ and my smile looked so genuine, like I was laughing, which I, of course, was. "That's great," I told the guy before walking out of the room, suddenly in a better mood. The rest of the day actually went pretty wonderfully, and I didn't even notice any of Sharpay's snottiness.

At the end of the day, I was happy to not have to pull my backpack along with me, as I didn't have any homework. That was totally a great day.

**A/N:** Yeah, so I'm cool enough to put a note at the beginning and the end. So, since I'm so cool, you just _know_ you want to review, right? (


	5. Of Sick Days, Webzines, & Emails

**Disclaimer:** As always, I do not own High School Musical. And, once more, as always, I wish I owned Corbin Bleu, but I don't because they don't sell him on Ebay. tear

**A/N: **I'm majorly sorry this update took me so long! School and life in general has been crazy. Hopefully I'll start updating more regularly now. Well, enjoy the long-awaited chapter five!

"Honey, you _have_ to stay home!"

"Mom," I whined, "I'm not _sick_. I've just got a _fever_. Let me go to school and I promise I'll take things easy. I've got a test in Bio today and I have a huge Geometry assignment due! Puh-leease?"

I was sure the argument me and my mother were having wasn't a common one. Most of kids I knew would do absolutely anything to get out of school, even if it meant _faking_ sick, especially on a Monday morning with a test looming ahead of them. Wasn't it an awful coincidence that I, Taylor McKessie, the girl who would do anything to get out of missing school, just so happened to get sick with a stupid fever?

"Tay," Mom began, using a tense tone of voice that I was sure pretty much every kid had heard from their parents at one point or another when they were doing something wrong, "If you go to sleep now, I promise I'll take you up to school on my lunch break. That way you'll only miss half a day of school. Does that sound like a plan?"

My reply was a snappy 'no!'.

Putting a severely angry look on her face, Mom snapped back, "Well, it wasn't a _suggestion_. You will go to bed now and I will take you up to school at noon unless you feel terrible."

Okay, maybe I'd been a little _too _snappy.

"Oh, mom, it's not like I'll do anyone any harm if I go to school! I promise, I'll stay away from _everyone_. And I'll dress cool so my fever doesn't bother me! Oh, _please_?"

"Taylor. I am your mother! I don't want you to argue with me over this. A few hours isn't going to hurt you any."

I sighed in exasperation. There was really no fighting my mom. She was just as stubborn as I was, and since she was, after all, the parental figure, I figured I had to listen to her. "Fine, fine," I grumbled, making my way back into my bedroom. I heard her call a cheerful 'sleep well!' before heading out the door to work. It bothered me how she could go from being angry one minute to being happy the next.

So, as I laid in my bed, I thought up my options. Option one was to do as Mom said and go to sleep. That, however, was highly unlikely. I wasn't the least bit tired! Somehow Mom thought that sleep was a magical medicine that cured everything. Yeah right. Option two was to get dressed and go to school. I couldn't do that, though. When she'd come home for lunch, Mom would see I wasn't there and would naturally think I'd been kidnaped or something like that, and she would proceed to freak out. Option three was sort of midway between one and two. I'd stay home, but I wouldn't sleep. I could crawl into bed ten minutes before mom got home so she'd think I'd been sleeping the whole time.

Option three was definitely going to work.

With defeat hanging on my shoulders (I was still upset about not going to school until noon), I trudged out to the living room and pulled my blankets up around me. My laptop was sitting on the coffee table, so I reached over and flipped it open. Immediately, I went to our school's homepage to see if any of the teachers had posted assignments, though it wasn't even eight o'clock yet. Of course, no one had. I busied myself with looking through the different parts of the site I hadn't been to before, and I eventually found myself staring at this huge picture of Sharpay beneath the heading 'View From THE Twin'. Apparently Sharpay had a column on the school's webzine, which I'd never really read before.

For a moment I dwelled on it's title. 'View from THE Twin'. I was astonished how she could turn something around that indefinitely signaled two people, that being the word 'twin', to so clearly refer to a single person. It was all done in typical Sharpay fashion, however, with 'THE' typed in boldface font, all capitals. It made me instantly feel sorry for that enigmatic brother of hers, and it made me marvel at how something as simple as a webzine's _title_ could be designed to cut him down. It made me feel sicker than my supposed 'virus'.

After turning my disgust away from the top of the page, I scanned down through the text she'd typed up, all in a blindingly pink font that danced in front of a turquoise background. I had to highlight the text just to read it. And even then, I really only skimmed. It wasn't so much a column as it was a blog. Judging by the counter Sharpay had at the bottom, her page was one of the fewest-accessed pages on the entire internet. She'd gotten a grand total of 8 hits, and I was guessing that they were probably from members of the drama club or guys who'd considered her hot.

I really only read the two most recent entries. The first was written yesterday morning.

**Twenty Reasons Why Troy Bolton Is THE Hottest Guy In The School!!!!!!!**

_15. He's been to every musical I've ever been in._

_14. His dad is hot for an old guy._

_13. He's not a geek._

_12. His hair isn't annoyingly curly._

_11. He always smells amazing._

_10. He doesn't stare at girls in the hallway._

_9. He's got an awesome car set aside for him when he turns sixteen._

_8. He's, like, rich. Not as rich as me, but still rich!!_

_7. He has great hair._

_6. His smile is sofreakingadorable!!_

_5. He has really great style!!!_

_4. He's the junior varsity basketball team's captain!_

_3. I'm his number one friend on myspace!!_

_2. He's going out with me!!!!_

_1. Me and him KISSED last night!!!!!_

The next one, written last night around ten o'clock was highly amusing. It made me instantly wish I could be at school today, just to see Sharpay.

**TROY BOLTON IS THE WORST GUY ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET**

_Today, me and Troy had, like, a date planned. We were going to go to the mall so I could help him buy a few shirts that complimented my outfits exactly. Like, I have this gorgeous sundress, so I was gonna get a button-up for him that matched the exact shade of pink. Well, we went to American Eagle and I got him this gorgeous polo shirt (WITH MY OWN MONEY) and then we were walking to, like, Hollister, when we walked by this sports store. One of his stupid friends, that Chad guy, was in the store and he was all 'Troy, dude what's up?' So I told Troy to just ignore him and keep walking._

_Well I guess Troy is, like, loyal to his friends or something pathetic like that, because he totally went off on me about how he couldn't just ignore that poofy-haired bafoon. Seriously, this kid was wearing a _novelty_ tee! How three years ago are those? Ugh!_

_I told Troy he had to pick between me and his buddy and he, Troy, chose that IDIOT over me!_

_Really, Troy doesn't know what he's losing._

_He's so gonna regret this._

So Sharpay had finally had it given to her. If I could, I would have given Troy a huge hug at that moment. Chad was pretty awesome, too, for causing that disturbance in their relationship. For a moment, I was back in middle school and I had this huge desire to call both of them up. I still had their numbers locked away in my mind. I always had trouble forgetting things, numbers especially.

Totally satisfied, I shut my computer and flicked on the TV. Of course, nothing but pointless kiddie shows and old game shows was on. I tuned in to the Price is Right- I was always great at playing along at home- and settled in.

As the show progressed, however, I grew progressively more sick-feeling. My stomach started making these gross gurgling noises and my throat started hurting really badly. So, just as the showcase showdown was starting, I flicked the TV off and made my way into my room. It looked like I wasn't going to have to pretend for mom when she came home.

In fact, I didn't even wake up when she got home. I guess sleep really was a great medicine because I felt instantly better when I woke up around two-thirty. I couldn't believe I was actually going to miss a whole day of school! What I did notice, though, was that I felt a lot better after catching a few Z's. So I settled back in and pulled my blanket up over my head.

I didn't wake up again until mom was making supper- I hadn't even woken up when my parents got home!- and she had come in to ask if I wanted any.

Still not hungry, I said I'd come out and see if it looked good, but I really wasn't in a chicken and rice mood, so I went into the living room to get the assignments. They would definitely be posted by now.

I brought up my browser window and was surprised by bold letters telling me I had a new e-mail. I basically never got e-mails, unless they were from a friend asking for help on homework or something like that.

Certain it was going to be junk mail, I begrudgingly clicked on it. I really needed to get my assignments, but this would only take a minute, so I figured it wasn't going to be that terrible. The e-mail, however, immediately made me suspicious. First off, it didn't have a subject, and secondly it was from an e-mail address I didn't recognize. 'Ugh,' I thought, 'probably a jock who got the wrong address or something.'

It was clear, however, by the first line that they had not gotten the wrong person.

_Hey Tay,_

_you weren't in bio today! what was up with that? I don't know if your aware but we had a TEST today! how could ya miss that? well, anyway I thought it was pretty easy so you'll probably think it was majorly easy. anyway, I guess I just wanted to make sure you didn't die or anything because I'm pretty sure that's the only thing that'd keep you away from school!_

_chad_

Rolling her eyes, Taylor couldn't believe she was actually going to type up a reply to that, but she did and sent it before she could think better of it. It was really unlike her to act so impulsively.

_Chad,_

_I'm afraid of what you had to do to get my e-mail address._

_But anyway, I'm not dead, I was just really sick. I'm glad to hear the test was easy, maybe it will help bring your grade up some because I'm sure you could use it! Ha ha, sorry I couldn't resist. Well, I hope we didn't get too much homework today, but I'll definitely be back tomorrow._

_Taylor_

With that, I entered the school's site's address into my address bar for the second time that day, though this time I simply jotted down my homework and didn't dawdle with checking out the webzine.

The rest of the night was pretty much like any other one. I did my homework, worked ahead a bit in geometry, and then I watched an episode of That 70's Show from our TiVo. You wouldn't know it if you looked at me, but I'm a huge Kelso fan. After that, I went to bed, determined that I'd be ready for school the next day.

**A/N:** So I originally intended to put two days into this chapter, but then I decided I just wanted to get it posted, so now I've got a bunch of ideas for the next chapter. Yay! So, review away darlings!


	6. Chad Danforth

**Disclaimer:** As always, I do not own High School Musical. In fact, I haven't even owned my DVD for the past week, as I was watching it too much that mom found it necessary to take it away. BAH.

**A/N:** So basically _my_ high school's musical has been taking over my life. Seriously, doing the lights for FAME is not fun. I don't recommend that anyone else does it, especially if the person they're stuck in the light booth with is as annoying as the girl I have to work with. 'Nuff said, let's get to the chapter.

"Excuse _me_," I'd said to a girl only moments after she had stepped on my foot rather fiercely, which was terrible as she was wearing these awful stilettos. I only knew what they were called because I liked to stay educated in everything, even if it was impractical footwear.

"You watch it, McKessie," came my reply, and it was then that I realized I hadn't been looking at _who_ had impaled my foot; my eyes had been focused on _what_ they'd stabbed me with. Flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder, Sharpay sneered at me. "You need to watch where you're going. Next time I might accidentally break my shoe, and that would be a complete disaster because I wouldn't just break my shoe, but I'd have to break your face, too."

Since it was already well into the first semester- in fact, we'd gotten our first quarter report cards a week ago to the day- I was fully aware of Sharpay and her wickedness. When she made a comment like that, she seriously meant that she would follow through with it. Miss Evans was the kind of girl who would beat someone up over a shoe, even if it wasn't a Louis Vuitton designer pump or a Prada sling-back.

"Oh, bite me."

And, with that, I turned on my heel- which wasn't balanced atop a thin piece of whatever shoes are made out of, and was, in fact, clad in a pair of my most comfortable Nikes- and beelined directly for the school's office. I still had to pick up my absent slip from yesterday, and I wasn't going to let the worser Evans twin stand in my way of that.

"Heya, Maudie!" I said brightly, strolling up to the counter and leaning lightly against it. "Can I get an absent slip, please?"

Grinning, the elderly woman handed me a small slip of paper. "Taylor!" she exclaimed, "You haven't missed a day yet this year. I would've thought with your dedication to your schoolwork you'd make sure not to miss a day!"

"Yeah, at least I didn't miss finals or anything important like that."

"You should have seen that boy! Danbury's his name, I believe?" She gestured around her head, mimicking hair larger than her already-prominent style, before continuing. "He came in here to ask if your mom had called in to say why you weren't at school. Went going on and on about how he thought the only thing that'd keep you away from coming to school would be your deathbed, and he insisted that you'd never missed a day during middle school. He talked for a good five minutes straight before he let me get the word in that you were simply feeling bad, probably a strain of the flu or something, and that you'd be here tomorrow." Her smile stretched across her face as she continued, "Told him he should go and e-mail you if he was so worried, and last I saw, he was heading for the computer lab!"

"Danbury? You mean Danforth? Chad?" I tilted my head. His e-mailing me had been rather odd, but when I learned the reasoning behind the message, I was even more confused. He was actually worried about me? That was crazy. He was Chad the basketball jock, the _popular_ kid. The only thing we'd ever had in common was our mutual love for the Power Rangers back when it was cool to like them. We would always play Power Rangers at lunch recess. I was the pink one and he was the blue one. Sometimes we'd get other kids to join in, but some days we'd have to go on missions by ourselves.

One day, we decided that we needed to rescue a fellow Power Ranger (which was a rock we'd colored red with a marker) from the clutches of an evil scientist who wanted to perform tests on him to figure out a way to turn herself into a power ranger. Said evil scientist was the tallest tree in the playground, the one that no one had ever tried to climb.

We started on one side of the huge jungle gym and made our way across, using the most complicated route we could. Naturally, that was so we could show off our amazing Power Ranger skills. I could still remember how we'd ended the route. With a huge leap, he and I flew off the top of the monkey bars, fingers laced together so we could evoke more of the powers within us.

That day we didn't end up rescuing the rock. We spent too long laughing and tickling each other, and by the time the bell had rung signaling the end of recess, we'd completely lost track of time.

Oh God, I can't believe I still remember that.

Actually, it's not that I can't believe I remembered that, but I really can't believe that I hadn't blocked it out of my memory.

Snapping out of my brief reverie, I nodded to Maudie. "Well I guess I better go get my assignments before homeroom starts. See ya around!"

As I left the office, a slight smile was on my face, not because of what Maudie had said, but because she always seemed to have that effect on me. Usually I'd leave her office with a miniature butterfinger or a few hershey's kisses in my hand. She always kept chocolate around because she knew just how much the kids adored it, and I was one of the most guilty chocolate addicts around.

Slowly, in an almost dream-like state, I made my way around to the class rooms. I guess I was still a little drowsy from all that cough medicine mom had pumped into me over the past day. She'd even sent a bottle of it along with me, but I wasn't about to bother with taking any of it. More than likely, I'd end up pouring some of it down the drain in the drinking fountain so it looked like I'd taken it. That was likely to satisfy her.

When I'd finally gotten to homeroom, Sharpay still appeared to be in a foul state. She glared at me purposely as I walked by her on my way back to my desk. I did notice, however, that Troy looked far more cheerful than he had in a long time. He no longer sat behind Sharpay, but instead sat on the opposite side of the room. Next to Chad.

I didn't realize that I spend the entirety of homeroom staring at the wood grains on the top of my desk, doing anything I could to keep my eyes from straying over to Chad, like I knew they probably would, since they'd done it on their own accord when I first entered the room.

I didn't realize until the end of the day, after simply making it through my AP classes until I perked up in English, my first class with Chad, that I was maybe sort of possibly, but hopefully _not_ developing a crush on Chad Danforth.

Suddenly, the slightly less than three-quarters of the year that had yet to pass seemed like an awfully long time when faced with the possibility of having _feelings_ for him.

**A/N:** Not much else to say besides review! Oh, and definitely check out the preview (if that's what you'd call it) for the story I'm going to start after this one.


End file.
